Memento of a Stolen Heart
by blacksunset1214
Summary: I've never failed to steal anything before. That's why I knew that one day, her love would be mine. And I would be happy, because whatever I want, I get.


**Grrr... I edited this, and wanted to replace this oneshot with my edited piece. But for some odd and annoying reason, Fanfiction refused to replace it. So now I'm reposting it. Enjoy.**

* * *

The entire thing; it was her fault. She wasn't supposed to make me fall for her. It was supposed to be the other way around, as it always was. I didn't know how, but this girl managed to resist my charm.

That made her even more attractive.

It had all started a year ago, on a chilly late-autumn evening, a week after I had moved to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Earlier in the day, I had focused in on the first victim of my robberies; Lumina, the maiden that lived with her grandmother in a mansion. An easy first target.

Like always, I had written a note telling her of my arrival. From the shadows, I watched them start to panic, then start to prepare to defend themselves. I chuckled. Oh, those silly people. They thought they could stop me, but their efforts were so useless.

_Whatever I want, I get._

That statement is true, for that night I had stolen their jewelry with ease. I quickly made my escape, but was surprised to find another person standing outside. Her hair was tied back, and she had purple eyes. The farmer I've been hearing about, no doubt. _Hehe, maybe she can be my new plaything,_ I had thought.

I had only intended to fool around with her a little, and then throw her away.

I smirked at her, and her eyes widened. I took that as a sign of my charm beginning to work its effects on her.

"Hehe. Hello, beautiful. What's a fair maiden like you doing out so late at night?" I started. I was caught off guard when her expression quickly changed into a glare. Nevertheless, I continued my flirting.

"Hehe. The name's Skye. I prefer 'Phantom Skye, Prince of the Stars' more, though." She scoffed at that, rolling her eyes. Before I could continue, I was interrupted by Lumina.

"Stop! Thief!" she yelled. The farmer's eyes widened and she gasped. Turning away, I started walking towards the gate.

"I'm a bit pressed for time. I have a feeling we'll meet again. It's in the stars." She stood there, dumbfounded. I was almost out the gate before I was interrupted by Lumina again.

"You're not getting away!" She glared at me. I chuckled. Her attempts at stop me were so idiotic.

"Hehe. Hold up, beautiful. Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty." Her cheeks instantly turned pink and she giggled.

"Such a smooth talker… Phantom Skye…" she murmured, covering her face with her hands. I took this as an opportunity to leave, quickly turning and walking towards the gate. Lumina was quick to follow me, not putting up much of a fight as I made off with her jewelry. She quickly gave up, going back towards her house, where the farmer still stood.

_Works every time._

* * *

The next time I saw her was two seasons later. My next victims would be Muffy and Griffin, the bartenders; my goal was the Okuhattan, an expensive wine. To lure them out, I used curry. My homemade curry, to be more specific, which I knew no one could resist. It is my curry, after all. Why wouldn't it be perfect?

What I wasn't expecting was the farmer to be there again. _Ha, no biggie,_ I thought. _I'll take care of her quickly._

"So, we meet again, beautiful. Didn't I tell you it was in the stars?" I grinned at her.

"Jill. My name is _Jill._ So stop calling me that." She seethed.

"Jill. What a beautiful name for a beautiful maiden."

"Stop playing games with me. I know you're here to steal, and I'm here to help stop you." She glared daggers at me.

"Well, that's no fun." I pouted. "Haven't you ever considered that maybe our meeting here was fate?"

She pondered this for a moment before muttering, "Was it fate?"

"It pleases me to hear that from a beautiful maiden such as yourself." I smiled. _Yes! My flirting is starting to have an effect on her. This is a good start._

"Jill," She growled, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, yes. You'll have to give me time to get used to it." I shrugged my shoulders. "Anyways, I should get going soon. So can you hold still for a bit?"

Before she had time to react, I had already yelled, "CHICK-BEAM …FIRE!"

She gasped at the realization that her body was frozen stiff. "What did you do to me?!"

"Oh, relax. It'll wear off soon." I explained. I headed to the back, where the alcohol stood perfectly aligned on long shelves.

"Chick beam fire? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." She snickered. Now it was my turn to glare at her.

"I happen to like that phrase." I said.

"Figures," she snorted.

I had finished my search, walking back towards Jill with the bottle of Okuhattan in hand. "It sure does help, though. Remember? You're can't move a muscle and I'm taking off with this bottle of wine. So whether it sounds silly or not doesn't matter."

Silence. I reveled in my victory, and then decided to tease her a bit.

I sidled up to her, until I was a mere inch away from her ear. "Aren't you enjoying your time together, though? I sure am." I saw her face start to turn red as my hot breath tickled her ear.

"Why do you steal?" she suddenly asked. I was caught off guard, and it was a few seconds before the question registered in my head.

"Hm. I don't know." I looked away. _Nobody has ever asked me that question._

Unfortunately, Jill decided to press on further, not noticing how uncomfortable I was. "Is it for fun?"

"Oh, so you want to know more about me, don't you?" I smirked, trying to cover up my reluctance to answer. "Tell you what. If you can catch me, I'll tell you anything you want." I knew that wouldn't happen.

_It wasn't my time to be caught._

My ears perked at the sound of the bartenders' voices coming from outside. "I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet. It'll take the mystique out of our relationship."

From outside, I heard the murmurs of the bartenders. They were planning on coming back, so I would have to leave. "Sorry, beautiful. I've gotta jet. See you soon."

With that, I quickly fled the bar, heading back to my home in the Valley._ Hm._ _That girl,_ I thought. _She's something different. I've seen women far more beautiful; but none of them even compared to her. It's strange. What is this feeling?_

* * *

Over the next season, I found myself thinking more and more of Jill; my thoughts wouldn't stray very far from her.

Was she thinking of me, too?

_I wonder what it would be like to date her._ _She's not very pretty, but there's something about her that none of the other woman ever had. _Forcing myself to stop daydreaming about her_, _I scooped some of the curry that had been boiling over the stovetop and held it to my mouth, letting the steaming, chunky liquid run down my throat.

The taste sat in my mouth for awhile, and I furrowed my brows in frustration. My curry; it didn't taste the same. Today was the same as any day; I had followed my exact recipe, so why had it turned out differently? I concentrated and tried to figure out what could've gone wrong, but I couldn't come up with anything. All the preparations, cooking; it was all done with perfection, yet my curry didn't turn out well.

_Hm. Maybe a walk will help me clear my mind…_ As soon as I thought of that, another thought popped up; maybe Jill could help me? I grabbed a paper and pen, deciding to write a note to the two archeologists; Flora and Carter. I had no use for the things they had there, but it was a good excuse to see Jill again.

That night I walked into the tent as soon as Flora and Carter left to search for me, leaving Jill all alone, as I had planned. As soon as she saw me, she got into a defensive stance.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to use my magic here," I assured her. "I just wanted to spend time with you, if you don't mind."

She still looked skeptical and stared at me with her amethyst orbs, sending butterflies fluttering around my stomach. What if she rejected me? I wiped my now sweaty palms on my trousers, my mind forming possible ways she could answer me. After a millennium, she suddenly found the ground interesting, and shifted her focus there.

"I'd love to," she mumbled, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"C'mon, then. Let's go somewhere else, before those two get back." I tried to suppress a wide grin forming on my face, and held out my hand for her to take. She grabbed it and I led us outside towards the beach. Our hands seemed to fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle.

_Is this what it feels like? To be falling in love? I sort of like it._

* * *

Jill. She's all I think about nowadays. Her pale skin, her bright smile, the playful glint in her eye, her toned body shaped from hard farm work…

I sighed, lost in my thoughts and enjoying the refreshing early-summer breeze that tickled my skin when an interesting sight catches my eye. _Jill… and that farmer that looks like Elvis. What was his name… Marley? Martin? Marlin? Ah, Marlin; that's it. But what are they doing out together this late at night? _Crouching in the bushes, I watched as they arrived at her house, standing in front of her door in a pregnant silence. The farmer scratched the back of his head in an awkward fashion before planting a kiss on her cheek, much to my horror and dismay. They said their goodbyes, and Jill swiftly ducked back into her home. I took that as my cue to leave, getting up from the ground and brushing the dirt off my clothes. Turning around, I hastily made my way back home, not noticing my hands were involuntarily clenched in fists.

From a distance, I watched as Vesta, Celia, and Marlin gathered around my note, their anger growing by the second. If I was right, Jill would come by and they would ask for her help. Hopefully, she would see how close Marlin and Celia were, as I had witnessed in the past week, and back off.

Not long after, Jill finally arrived, and they all explained what was going on. As I predicted, she agreed to help out, and said she would be back at midnight.

Time wore on, minutes turned to hours of waiting for midnight to come. I wondered what she would say when she saw me, what she would do. When midnight finally arrived, I hurriedly slipped on my jacket and headed to Vesta's farm. As soon as I got there, I ran into Jill… and Vesta, much to my dismay. I wanted alone time with Jill, but that obviously wasn't happening now.

"You ain't getting any of my veggies!" Vesta yelled.

"Don't let such raw anger steal away your beauty," I tried. For even a woman like Vesta, my charms still had the same effect.

"You… You… You!" she sputtered. Jill stayed silent, avoiding my gaze. After a moment she finally spoke up, looking at me with distress in her purple orbs.

"Please stop stealing!" she pleaded. _Does she possibly… care about me?_

"Hehe. It's nice to know that you worry about me, Jill. But it's just not time for me to be caught." It was time to get out of here. With Vesta standing there, being here was pointless. If I ran, they would come after me, so I did the most logical thing. "CHICK-BEAM …FIRE!"

"What did you do to me?!" Vesta roared.

"It'll wear off soon. I'm sorry I had to do that." I said, directing it mostly towards Jill. Without another word, I took off in the opposite direction. I walked out of the fields and was almost nearing my escape when I ran into Celia and Marlin.

Great, I thought. Now I have to deal with these two, too.

"Looks like I'm extra popular tonight. Being cornered by pretty ladies seems to be a curse of mine." I smirked

"Back off, pretty boy!" The Elvis-wannabe glared at me._ Wow, I hope Jill is listening to every word of this conversation._

"Hm. I don't want to be caught by a man. Where's the mystique in that?" I returned his glare with one of my own. Marlin looked down and shook his head, clearly agitated. I took the opportunity to cast my spell. "CHICK BEAM …FIRE!"

Celia gasped. "I-I can't move!" Marlin immediately rushed to her side, asking if she was okay. While he was distracted, I made my escape and headed home.

_What a waste of time._

* * *

_Hm, I wonder what she's doing right about now._ I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, which read 8 A.M. in bright red digits. She would be completing her chores for the day right now.

At 3 P.M., I was out for a walk when I spotted them again; Jill and Elvis. I grit my teeth as I watched the scene unfold before my eyes. They were talking in front of the fields, with the occasional laugh. What really bothered me, though, was the fact that Jill was _blushing._ I didn't even try to convince myself that her face was red because of the heat. It was the beginning of autumn and the heat was long gone. I was so confused. It always seemed like she liked me, yet here she was with Marlin. In my head, I devised a plan that would test her feelings for me.

It's been half a week since the incident with Jill and the idiot. My plan was already in action; earlier this morning I had planted one of my infamous notes in the Inn, telling them ahead of time about my arrival at midnight.

It was strange. A year ago, I had only intended to play around with her for a bit. It's amazing, how much she changed me.

At five minutes to midnight, I walked out into the open, where I knew Nami and Rock were trying to get help from the villagers. They spotted me quickly, and I started running away, only to bump into Jill. Everything was going according to plan.

"I don't have much time today," I said hastily. "Could you maybe look the other way this time?"

"… I never saw you."

"Thanks so much, Jill." I fought the urge to jump with joy, instead choosing to give her a small smile before running off.

Word has been floating around the valley lately that Jill has acquired a blue feather. Was she planning on giving her heart to… another man? Or even worse; Elvis-wannabe-idiot-farm-boy? The thought sickened me. I should be the one waking up next to her every morning. The one who makes her breakfast, the one who's always there for her.

The one who has her love.

After all we've been through, and she's giving her heart to somebody else. Rage filled my body, and my hands clenched into fists. I opened the drawer, taking out a piece of paper and a pen._ I'll strike tonight, and steal her heart away._

Before leaving, I got out an old duffel bag that I hadn't used in a year or two. Opening my closet, I ripped my clothes from where they hung on hangers. _Folding them neatly, I packed as much as I could, before heading out. Leave the rest of this stuff here, it means nothing to me, now._

Jill's farm sprawled for what seemed like forever. Row after row of crops covered the field, and a barn and coop stood to the side. Her two story house was at the far back. Sneaking around stealthily, I got her door open and tiptoed inside.

At her kitchen table, Jill sat on a seat, her head buried into her arms and a glass of milk along with a plate of cookies pushed to one side. Next to her lay the pristine blue feather; it seemed to shine in the moonlight coming through the window. Before making off with it, I picked up Jill, carrying her bridal style to her bed and placing her beneath the covers. For a few minutes I hovered over her, watching her sleep peacefully.

Soon, it was time for me to go. I plucked the feather off the table and exited the house, slinging my stuff, which I had left outside, over my shoulder. I looked at the feather again. It didn't shine anymore; it looked dull and lifeless in my hands. I knew deep down that this was only a symbol of her heart.

I had failed to steal the real thing.

Even so, I tucked my memento of her stolen heart safely into my pocket, heading down the road that led out of Forget-Me-Not Valley.

* * *

**Things like this were bugging me. Why did he even want to go to the Inn in the first place? What was he going to steal there? And also, regarding Jill's relationship with both Marlin and Skye; it was meant to confuse you. In the end, you don't know if she was going to give it to Marlin or Skye, which was the point. Oh, and don't worry; I don't hate Marlin, either. Although I do admit that when I first saw him a picture of Elvis popped up in my mind. Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review! If you're still confused, feel free to PM me. See you!**

**Edit 1/24/13: Pffft, I went back and re-read this, then realized how many mistakes I had in here. I fixed typos, grammatical errors, and re-worded some parts and took some stuff out so it flowed a bit more.**

**-blacksunset1214**


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